WasteAid would like to invite Biffa colleagues to join together to celebrate the 5th year of our Proud Partnership. Funds raised will go to support waste workers at the forefront of tackling the global waste crisis.

Biffa's Proud Partnership Infrastructure Fund will help deliver the necessary waste and recycling equipment that will make a huge difference to the lives of the people WasteAid works with, helping them to lift themselves from poverty, whilst cleaning the environment.

People like Tevelon Morgan.

Tevelon is a waste collector working in the informal sector in the township of Diepsloot, in Johannesburg. Here there are no formal waste collection or recycling services, and with high unemployment rates, people such as Tevelon support their families by picking waste plastics which they take, by foot and in carrier bags, to their nearest buy-back centre. Tevelon has a physical disability, and is the sole income generator in a family household of 9.

When Tevelon joined WasteAid’s ‘Wastepreneur’ training programme last year, he was earning approximately 600 Rand (£27) per month from his collecting activities, well below the poverty line. He undertook the 12-week training course run by WasteAid to support waste collectors to improve their income-earning potential.

Tevelon gained a huge amount of confidence by taking part in the programme. So much so, that at the end of the course, with support from his mentor, Harriet, he pitched to a group of local waste management and sustainability professionals to ask for an investment of a specially designed trolley for people with disabilities, which would help him to increase the amount of plastics he is able to collect. He also asked for a sun hat to protect him as he carries out his collection rounds. The team were so impressed with his ask, that they granted him his request and also found budget to provide him with some speciality workboots.

The simple investment of a trolley and some workwear is estimated will increase his livelihood by up to 50% each month, as well as giving him dignity, a sense of belonging and pride in his activities and what they can provide for his family.

Together, through raising funds for Biffa's Infrastructure Fund, we can support more people like Tevelon, and make a huge difference to their lives, as well as to their families and to their communities.